Big Apple Life

A collection of posts on Life in the Big Apple along with interviews with foodie friends

Chicka and the Don, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC

Chicka and The Don is a new Latin American restaurant in the Flatiron District, where Almayass was on 21st Street. The waiter mentioned a third that had come and gone. As their guests, we sampled much of the menu. My dining partner chose a Margie, while I sampled The Don ($20), a unique twist on an Old Fashioned made with Japanese whiskey and a wine and honey-infused rum with aphrodisiac claims. When our waiter mentioned that he would bring the food out family style as it was ready, we didn't imagine receiving everything but dessert almost at once. Other than a banquet in front of us at the same time, everything is worth [...]

Molkajete Restaurant Bar, Brooklyn, NYC + Green-wood Cemetery

Our ex-expat group took a private temperature-controlled trolley with a guide to explore Greenwood’s historical landscape. We toured some of its 478 glacial-formed acres. The cemetery houses one of the largest outdoor collections of nineteenth—and twentieth-century statuary and mausoleums. It's not to be missed. After our tour, we headed down the hill toward our subway back to Manhattan, stopping at Molkajete Restaurant Bar for some nourishment and chatter. Happy hour at this Peruvian/ Mexican restaurant runs from 11 am to 6 pm, so we indulged. Sangria and margaritas were only $8. With our drinks, we nibbled their housemade guacamole ($14) and chips. Some items we ate included their burrito bowl [...]

The Korean COQODAQ, Flatiron-Grammarcy, NYC

Coquodoq, a new fried chicken concept, is currently one of the hottest reservation. The Flatiron restaurant is from Korean-American restaurateur Simon Kim, owner of the Michelin-starred Cote Korean Steakhouse. That's where we were celebrating a big birthday. When entering the restaurant's front door, the first stop is at the hand-washing sink, replete with high-end soaps, as much of the food is finger food. We were then seated at a leather-upholstered booth beneath one of the lit arches in the 190-seat room. We sipped an NV Grongnet Blanc de Blanc ($85) Brut from their champagne menu to accompany our meal, the chef's signature fried chicken meal ($38) that began with pasture-raised [...]

Populares Mexican Restaurant, Lower East Side, NYC + Board of Education

We laughed out loud at the comedy Board of Education, part of the Fresh Fruit Festival. It's a comedy following two aimless millennials from being waiters at a gastropub to running for the board of education. Richard Spitaletta, who wrote it, also stars in it. After the show, we walked around the corner to the newly opened Populares Mexican Restaurant, where I was invited as a guest. We sipped Margies, both classic and unsweetened ($14) while nibbling on freshly made chips with four flavorful salsas: pico de gallo, spicy salsa rojo, and salsa verde, both fresh and cooked ($12), plus their housemade chunky guacamole ($16). We were happy while we [...]

Opening of Fogo de Chão, Brooklyn, NYC

I'm a Fogo de Chão fan and have been since I experienced my first churrascaria (grilled BBQ) at their midtown location. I couldn't resist heading to City Point Mall in Albee Square in Brooklyn for the opening. This location features an open churrasco grill, where customers can watch their chefs butcher, prepare and grill various meats over an open flame. Like all others in the chain, it offers a salad bar—Market Table—like no other. We nibbled hors d'oeuvres before being seated with a seafood tower at our table and selecting from the Market Table. The roving waitstaff then started circling the room with grilled meats to be sliced from large [...]

The Dining Room at The Met + The Look Again: European Paintings 1300–1800

Now that you no longer need to be a member to dine there, I highly recommend the fourth-floor Met dining room while visiting the museum. This time I was with out-of-town friends who selected the "Look Again: European Paintings 1300–1800" installation. Over lunch, we discussed that Vermeer—whom I am familiar with—wasn't as prolific as the other Dutch masters. Only 36 of his approximately 60 paintings survived, compared to hundreds of Rembrandt's. The three of us shared two $85 four-course meals, which was a perfect amount of food for three people, plus a Paul Prieur Sancerre from the Loire Valley ($85). Everything is recommendable.  We started with the braised octopus with [...]

Blooms Tavern, Midtown, NYC + Roosevelt Island

Our ex.expat group toured Roosevelt Island when the cherry blossoms were in bloom with tour guide extraordinaire Kevin Draper, who detailed the history and the newly built Cornell University technology campus and future redevelopment plans for the island. After our tour, we took the tram back to Manhattan and headed to Blooms Tavern, a super-friendly Celtic-fused restaurant with an attentive staff who couldn't have been nicer. We sampled lots, including grilled cheese with tomato soup ($16), an impossible burger with fries ($16) and Blooms beer-battered codfish and chips ($25). All tasty and served with a smile!  I recommend a visit to Blooms and a tour of Roosevelt Island (or anywhere) [...]

L’Amico, Chelsea, NYC + Macy’s Flower Show

Another year, another flower show at Macy's main store between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Last year's exhibition was much more beautiful, yet the show is always aromatic and worth visiting the iconic store. Afterward, we walked downtown a few blocks to L'Amico, where Chef Laurent Tourondel serves an American menu with Italian influences in a warm cozy setting with fabulous service. We shared a Tuscan salad of arugula, artichokes and fava beans lightly dressed with a lemon vinaigrette and topped with pecorino sardo ($21) followed by their crispy crust buffalo mozzarella pizza with San Marzano tomatoes ($24). I highly recommend a visit to L'Amico. L'Amico Chelsea 849 Avenue of the [...]

Fig & Olive, Meat Packing District, NYC

After visiting the Whitney Museum's Biennial 2024, we headed to Fig & Olive for a quick bite before my friend left for JFK on a flight to Amsterdam. We yakked and shared two salads. I'd recommend either the Fig & Olive salad with kale, red cabbage, sun-dried tomato, pear slices, Gorgonzola and candied pecans ($21) or the Little Gem salad with avocado, toasted almonds and ricotta salata in a shallot mustard vinaigrette ($18). Since we were sharing both, we asked for the grilled salmon to top them on the side ($13). A good place to stop when in the meatpacking district or visiting The Whitney. Fig & Olive Meatpacking District [...]

Toloache, Midtown, NYC + Enemy of the People

I hadn't been back to Toloache since it reopened after the pandemic. Like many other restaurants, their website prices are lower than you'll pay. We started with their yummy guac ($16) with the accompanying salsa ($2 for extra) and chips. Delicious with their Cadillac Margie—the Oro Blanco ($18), made with Espolon reposado and Cointreau. Our dishes included their Ensalada de Jicama ($13), which included jicama, radishes, mixed greens, avocado, orange, almonds, and a tamarind vinaigrette, along with grilled chicken (+$8);  the enchiladas borrachas ($26) of pulled chicken, tomatillo-5 chiles salsa, Mexican cheeses, crema and an avocado-radish salad and the Quesadilla de Camaron ($17) with mini shrimp atop a tortilla with [...]

An Irish Pub: The Long Room, Theatre District, NYC on St. Patty’s Day

My grand-niece and her college roommates requested going to an Irish pub when visiting on St. Patty's Day. That's how we ended up at The Long Room in Times Square. The place was packed and noisy, offering a special holiday menu and live music. We all had draft beers ($9 - $10) — including one Guinness — with our food. We tried the spinach and artichoke dip in a cast-iron skillet along with pita bread not the crispy chips menu described. We shared sweet potato fries ($12), a classic burger ($21) with fries and ale-battered fish and chips.  Noisy, but fun.   The Long Room Times Square 120 W 44th [...]

Cacio E Pepe, East Village, NYC

I dined with the owner's relatives at Cacio e Pepe six years ago. I loved it and couldn't wait to return.  After the watery Cacio e Pepe at Basta Pasta, we decided to visit the original eponymous restaurant on Second Avenue for the minimalist classic dish of pasta, butter, cheese, and pepper. When two of us arrived, our server mentioned that happy hour was ending and offered a glass of house cabernet ($9) before the discounted time ended. Nice. When our friend arrived, she offered her a glass, implying she was offering the discounted wine. We shared two appetizers, the fabulous Timballo Di Melanzane ($16) — layers of molded eggplant parmesan. Delicious. [...]

Three days a month: Marc 179, Tribeca, NYC

A building mate emailed me about the opening of Marc179, Marc Murphy's  (Landmarc, Ditch Plains and Chopped) latest unique venture in Tribeca. Marc 179 is open only three days a month. offering a rotating $75 prix fixe menu, plus a small but inviting wine list. When not used as a restaurant, the space will be MM Kitchen Studio, a private event space, demo kitchen, and filming studio. Marc179 takes reservations two months in advance, and the menus are published one month out. The upcoming dates already posted include April 11th-13th, May 16th-18th, and June 20th-22nd. When I visited in March, the prix fixe menu included an arugula salad with pan-roasted [...]

Brunch at Sesamo, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + White Chip

We returned to Sesamo for brunch before heading to MCC to see White Chip, a play with a stellar lineup of producers, including Jason Biggs, John Larroquette, Hank Azaria, and Annaleigh Ashford—the wife of Joe Tapper, who plays Steven, the lead. The play takes its name from the Alcoholics Anonymous sobriety-chip system; each of the many times Steven — the main character — resolves to stop drinking, he gets a white chip. He has a bowlful. For brunch, I started with a bloody Mary ($15), followed by Shakshuka, as I had to have it again as it was so good last time. Not this time. It was way overcooked, even [...]

**Happy Hourat Rick Bayless’s Tortazo, Times Square, NYC + Doubt

I've meant to try Rick Bayless's Tortazo since it opened near Times Square about a year ago. I learned to love this Chicago restaurateur's food at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Tortazo is a modified version of Rick’s popular airport outlets. One opened in NoMad in 2021. Times Square area is his second NYC location. This Michelin-starred chef features antojitos — Mexican bites—at Tortazo. Some are available during happy hour when I slipped in before heading to Roundabout Theatre to see Liev Schreiber in Doubt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-winning 2004 play. The drama teaches the potentially destructive consequences of being too certain about anything.  I recognized the fabulous flavors [...]

KFC’s Chizza Pop-Up

My friend—an editor of a restaurant trade publication—invited me to sample KFC's Chizza with her on the day in February when the restaurant had transformed the store into a pop-up, serving the new menu item for free. Yes, free. There were lines around the block for the just introduced Chizza: two 100% white meat extra crisp fried chicken filets topped with marinara sauce, melty mozzarella cheese and crispy pepperoni.  Skeptical me. I was surprised at how moist, tender and tasty the fried chicken fillet topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni was. One fillet pizza costs $5.99; two fillets are $12.99, and the combo with a two-fillet one, French [...]

Repeat: Shuka, Soho, NYC + Up & Up & Raines Law Room Speakeasies

Having had such a wonderful time at Shuka and Up & Up, I repeated the combo with my grand nephew and his girlfriend. We opted to dine outside as it was one of our spring-weather winter days. We shared some meze, including the shaved Brussels sprouts ($14) as last visit, this time adding the falafel and sweet potatoes, which I would recommend.  We continued with chicken ($22/kebab) and beef ($25/kebab) kebabs, requesting the fabulous mushroom one, but it was no longer available as their menu changes based on market availability. Next time! We walked MacDougal to Up & Up for cocktails, followed by another at Raines Law Room, which has [...]

Hidden Leaf, Manhattan West, NYC

It's not easy to find Hidden Leaf within Manhattan West, around the corner from Zou Zou and upstairs. We met there during restaurant week for their $30 two-course lunch. Three of us decided on their meaty Yunnan BBQ ribs (three) with preserved ginger and toasted seeds sticky sauce. The other had their hidden gem salad with pickled mango red curry cashews and a shallot garlic crumble in a vegan Nuoc Cham dressing. To start, we shared an order of their shrimp and snow pea dumplings ($19 for 5). I recommend all of the above, plus their crispy Malaysian-style fried chicken with a celery-fennel salad that we savored as our entree. [...]

Great Nachos at Rosa Mexicano Restaurant, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC

One early afternoon, we hankered for nachos for lunch and headed to the Rosa Mexicano on 18th Street. Rosa's signature nachos ($14) were a perfect amount of chips, Chihuahua cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, crema, pickled jalapeños and cotija cheese. The dish happily satisfied our craving.   I recommend it! Rosa Mexicano Restaurant Flatiron/Gramercy 9 East 18th Street New York, NY 10003-1903 212-533-3350 rosamexicano.com

Pete’s Tavern, Gramercy, NYC

I'd been looking forward to the Pat LaFrieda short rib burger and fries at Pete's Tavern since we decided to check out the holiday decorations. Pete's—located on the corner of 18th and Irving—is the oldest continuously operating restaurant & bar in New York City. When we visited, it was still decorated, celebrating its 160th holiday season.  Instead of a burger — my dining partner, who I was sharing with, wasn't in a burger mood — we started with their baked nut-crusted goat cheese over baby arugula ($19). I'd highly recommend this salad, especially with a glass of their Barbera D'Alba ($17). We then shared the New York strip steak bites [...]

By |2024-02-25T08:28:10-05:00February 14th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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